This invention relates to a cover for use in the testing of turbine equipment having a bladed rotor, in particular, in the testing of ram air turbines in situ on aircraft.
Ram air turbines conventionally comprise a main body which is attached to an arm and deployed, when required, by an actuator. The main body includes a bladed rotor including at least two blades, and a hydraulic pump which in normal operating conditions is powered by the rotation of the bladed rotor.
Conventionally such ram air turbines are ground tested by powering the hydraulic pump so that it acts as a hydraulic motor and thereby driving the bladed rotor. In order to appropriately test the ram air turbine it is necessary to drive it at its normal operational speed, typically in the region of 4000-6000 r.p.m.
As civilian aircraft have developed and grown in size, the power requirement and therefore the size of the bladed rotor on the ram air turbine has correspondingly grown. The power input required to drive the ram air turbine under test is very large and has dramatically increased as the size of the ram air turbine has increased.
It has now reached the stage where the power input requirement for ground testing has become a problem.
The present invention is concerned with reducing the power input requirement under testing of turbine equipment having a bladed rotor.